The Florida Center for Early Childhood, a local nonprofit serving at-risk children and their families in Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee and DeSoto/Hardee counties, was awarded a $3,000 grant from the Heron Creek Community Foundation in North Port.

The grant will be used to acquire classroom supplies and furniture for children with special needs at the North Port campus of the Starfish Academy, The Florida Center’s early education program.

“This generous grant will help us replace supplies and furniture originally purchased over nine years ago, when our North Port campus opened. This will ensure that we can continue to provide exceptional services to children and families in the community,” said Kathryn Shea, president and CEO of The Florida Center.

In 2017, The Florida Center added an infant classroom to the North Port campus, with help from The Heron Creek Community Foundation, to serve the growing need for high-quality early childhood education in North Port.